


Dead But Not Asleep

by Lilly_C



Category: Killer Instinct (TV)
Genre: Aftermath of a Case, Dark, Friendship, Gen, Gunshot Wounds, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-14
Updated: 2008-01-14
Packaged: 2018-02-05 07:59:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1811095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilly_C/pseuds/Lilly_C
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"The case was hard for me too. Still is."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dead But Not Asleep

**Author's Note:**

> No spoilers. It can be read as in canon or post canon.
> 
> This was the outcome of an incessant 'dark thoughts/what if...' idea that I had to do something about because I kept going back to it.
> 
> The title comes from an instrumental of the same name on the Bhoot soundtrack.

_ I have seen you/ In this white wave/ You are silent/ You are breathin'.../ In this white wave/ I am free...  
Silence by Sarah McLachlan _

~

Danielle left Jack's front door open, making her way to her favorite armchair. "All right, out with it."

"I got nothing to say. Drop it already," Jack demanded.

"No, Jack, I won't 'drop it'," Danielle snapped. "The case was hard for me too. Still is."

Jack pushed his shirt sleeve above his muscular bicep, pointing to a partially healed bullet wound, near his favorite tattoo. "Son of a bitch clipped my Eagle's wing, and now it's ruined."

Danielle rolled her eyes at his suddenly discovered self-centeredness. "He tried to rape me and all your bothered about is your stupid fucking tattoo!"

Jack released a weak sigh. "You wouldn't understand, go home."

Danielle shook her head at his request. "I wouldn't understand? Try me, you might be surprised."

"I have this dream about the case and no matter what I do, it always ends the same way. I always die and I'm convinced that me dying would be the best thing for everyone involved, especially you."

Danielle glared intently at him. "You're wrong Jack; you dying would be a bad thing. Suicide isn't the answer, it isn't painless it's selfish and destructive; you should know that better than anyone. Besides, I need you now, more than ever."

"All right, what do you do then?" he asked as he moved closer to her.

Danielle wiped the tears away with her coat sleeve. "I get scared. Every time I close my eyes I can feel him on top of me, pinning me down like a worm about to be dissected in a high school biology lesson. The worst part is that I can still smell him. It's a lingering scent worse than the moldy remnants of a three-day old take-out. When I eventually wake up, the first thing I do is throw up, and then I get in the shower till I can't feel any pain."

"What did he smell of? I wasn't that close to him."

"Lucky you," Danielle bitched.

Jack noticed that Danielle's eyes were closed; grimacing while she carefully considered her words. "Danni," he whispered as he gently patted her arm, watching sadly as she flinched at his touch.

"It's a... really... stagnant... mixture of days old gin, badly masked stale sweat, and dried urine. Nasty."

Jack noticed how tense and apprehensive Danielle had become when he put his arm around her to try and comfort her. She quickly got to her feet. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" she screamed as she went out onto the deck for a breath of fresh air.

*

Jack waited for a few moments before going outside. "What's with the shower?" he probed delicately.

Danielle turned to face him. "No idea. I just climb under it letting the water burn my skin, then I scrub my skin till its red and almost bleeding."

Jack lowered his head. "You told anyone else this, Danni?"

"No, and you're not going to either. You know what else?"

"What?" Jack asked as he stood next to her.

"I get out and then I start over, usually for a few hours, until I can't feel pain anymore."

Jack smiled wistfully at her admission. "That's a fairly standard response Danni."

"I know," she chuckled lowly, making her way back inside.

*

Jack put his hand on her shoulder. "If you want, you can stay here tonight," he offered.

"I can't Jack; I need to somehow figure this out for myself."

"Have you eaten? Let me make you something."

"I'm fine," Danielle said, declining his offer. "I should go, I shouldn't have come. Sorry Jack."

Jack followed Danielle out to her car. "Don't apologize, Danni, hey, phone me whenever you want to talk about anything."

Danielle turned the radio on, increasing the volume. "I might do that," she said as she drove off.


End file.
